India vs South Africa 3rd ODI: Kuldeep Yadav the star on spinners’ day out

In the third ODI, which decided the series, India routed South Africa for a meagre 99, boosted by Kuldeep Yadav‘s four-fer. The visitors scored their lowest ODI score against India as a result of the spin combination of Kuldeep, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Washington Sundar of India taking eight of the ten wickets, with Mohammed Siraj claiming the other two.

India beat South Africa by 7 wickets and won the series 2-1. Shubman Gill scored 49 before falling victim to Lungi Ngidi. Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten 28 and finished off the chase with Sanju Samson on the other end.

Also read: India beat South Africa by 7 wickets in 3rd ODI, win series 2-1

It was a day for the Indian bowlers to shine. 

Shikhar Dhawan did not hesitate to send the rivals in after the toss was delayed by 45 minutes due to the damp outfield. The David Miller-led South Africa made three substitutions owing to illness in the camp, but they never got going. Quinton de Kock top-edged to backward point after slashing the instant he spotted width offered by Washington Sundar, who was bowling first.

Siraj struck back hard after giving up three boundaries to Janneman Malan. He set up a deep square leg and went after the batsman with a short one, which Malan dutifully dragged straight to the waiting fielder. Reeza Hendricks, the pacer’s second wicket, was also secured by a short ball. The spinners then seized control.

Also read: South Africa puts up 99, their lowest score against India in an ODI

As Markram and Klaasen were just beginning to score runs, Shahbaz sent up a delivery that dipped on Markram, spun, and kissed the edge of the bat on its way to the keeper, luring the former into a drive. After scoring a run-a-ball 7, Sundar came back and clean-bowled the South African captain through the gate.

Kuldeep launched the onslaught just in the 20th over, but he quickly overwhelmed the visitors in little under 28 overs by starting a disastrous lower-order collapse. He caught Anrich Nortje and Andile Phehlukwayo with a googly pitch that the batters failed to read, and Bjorn Fortuin walked after being caught leg-before-wicket.

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Heinrich Klaasen was the only batter to make an attempt in all of this, but the constant fall of wickets at the other end prevented him from engaging the bowling freely. Prior to being bowled by Shahbaz in an effort to cut, he scored 34 from 42.